Terry Hoeppner: Play 13!

[Kodos]

This guy's enthusiasm and outlook on life is unbelievable. Not only is he thrilled to be charged with the near hopeless task of bringing respectability back to the Indiana Hoosier football program, but he won't even let his second brain surgery in the last year keep him away from the job for long. If anyone can turn our pathetic program around, it's him. God bless you, Coach.

hxxp://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-indiana-hoeppner&prov=ap&type=lgns

Hoeppner says no new tumor found during surgery

By MICHAEL MAROT, AP Sports Writer
September 27, 2006

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Indiana's Terry Hoeppner walked into his weekly news conference Tuesday and got right back to business.

He took off his trademark hat and tried to talk about football, even if everyone else wanted to know about his health.

"I love coaching football games," he said. "I enjoy the preparation, I enjoy the recruiting, but my passion is coaching football games, so it's good to be back."

Hoeppner said doctors removed scar tissue, not another tumor from his brain on Sept. 13.

He said he wasn't taking pain medication, had no restrictions and that doctors gave him, his wife, Jane, and his family the best possible news.

"The surgery happened to be on Jane's birthday, and so she got scar tissue for her birthday," he said. "Right now, I'm good to go, and I'm ready to go."

Hoeppner temporarily turned over the reins of the Hoosiers to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Bill Lynch two weeks ago after announcing he would have his second brain surgery since December. Doctors said then they would remove a possibly recurrent tumor, which turned out to be scar tissue, according to Hoeppner.

The prognosis: Hoeppner would miss two to four weeks.

But the amazingly resilient 59-year-old coach made sure his absence was on the shorter end. Aside from the new scar on the right side of his head, it appeared as if little had changed.

The major issues confronting Indiana -- a quarterback controversy, questions about the Hoosiers' top player, James Hardy, and a beleaguered ground game -- were still front and center when Hoeppner returned Tuesday.

Even consecutive losses to Southern Illinois and Connecticut didn't faze the usually optimistic coach.

"I came up with this great plan for this week," Hoeppner said. "I told the guys 'We're going to coach better this week and you're going to play better this week. We're in the Big Ten now, so let's go do it."'

Players welcomed the message but were more impressed by the messenger.

"It's amazing to see him come back in two weeks," said receiver James Hardy, who is also returning to the team this week after a two-game suspension. "Mine was minor compared to his. But I wanted to make sure my coach was all right. He's more than a coach to me, he's a friend."

While doctors told Hoeppner to spend at least two weeks recovering, Hoeppner couldn't stay away from his passion even that long.

Three days after surgery, he attended the Southern Illinois game in one of the school's luxury suites.

Last Wednesday, he advised the board of trustees about a proposed $55 million upgrade of athletic facilities -- something he called essential to the program. The trustees approved the project Friday.

On Saturday, Hoeppner again attended the game at Memorial Stadium, and the next day, he resumed coaching duties.

Clearly, though, this was no typical news conference.

Hoeppner opened by thanking the hundreds of coaches in the high school, college and professional ranks who sent him notes offering support. He also thanked his family, coaching staff, players and the Indiana administration for aiding his recovery.

"I challenged them (the players) with the plan," he said of Sunday's team meeting. "I didn't talk to them real long, but I had some personal things to say. ... You know they've got a lot going on as a college student and a college player and any outside distractions are probably not the best thing I could have done. But if I had it to do all over again, I would."

Players believe Hoeppner's return has already provided an emotional boost to a team that seemed dispirited after a second straight poor performance in Hoeppner's absence.

"We're excited to get him back," safety Will Meyers said. "Any time your leader goes away for a little bit of time and then comes back, there's a lift."

But Hoeppner won't have much of a grace period.

The first decision will be what to do at quarterback when the Hoosiers (2-2) face Wisconsin this Saturday. Indiana rotated Blake Powers and Kellen Lewis throughout last Saturday's game against Connecticut, a strategy that didn't work well as the offense never really got in sync.

Indiana's poor rushing game also has caused consternation. UConn held the Hoosiers to zero rushing yards Saturday, and Indiana is the only Big Ten team averaging fewer than 139 yards per game on the ground. The Hoosiers are at 73.5.

It's not what Indiana players had in mind when Hoeppner instructed them before the surgery not to use his absence as a distraction or an excuse.

But now the Hoosiers have an opportunity to give Hoeppner a more meaningful welcome back gift.

"It's great to see him back," Meyers said. "It's great to have our leader back, especially after losing two in a row."

[Butter]

Miami (OH) would pay good money to bring him back right now, considering they're 0-4. He's a good coach, but even IU might wear him down past the point of enthusiasm.

[cody8200]

As a Hoosier fan (including football) I am beyond happy that we were able to get Terry. He's brought more enthusiasm to this program than anyone has in 15 years. He's a good football coach, a good person, and someone that I am proud is a part of IU's athletic department. If he can't help IU, then I really doubt that anyone else can.

[Kodos]

hxxp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/ncaa/05/08/bc.fbc.indiana.hoeppner.ap/index.html?eref=si_ncaaf

I'm not a religious guy, but if religious people on the board wanted to pray for Terry Hoeppner to beat his latest bout with cancer, it certainly couldn't hurt. While I obviously care about him from an IU football fan's perspective, he is also just a great guy who's always brimming with energy and enthusiam for the Indiana football team. It'd be a shame to see him lose his battle.

IU's Hoeppner still under treatment

Posted: Tuesday May 8, 2007 9:24PM; Updated: Tuesday May 8, 2007 9:24PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana football coach Terry Hoeppner is still undergoing medical treatment and remains intent on returning to the sideline.

Athletic department officials released a short statement from Hoeppner on Tuesday, the first update on his health since an announcement nearly two months ago that he would not coach spring practice to recuperate from brain surgery.

"I continue to receive medical treatment and remain inspired to return to coaching when my health permits," Hoeppner said. "I love Indiana University and Indiana football and will make decisions in the best interest of the program, as I have always attempted to do."

The statement gave no details on his treatment, health or when he might rejoin the team.

Hoeppner had brain surgery twice in a 10-month span and has now left the team three times since December 2005.

His last major public appearance was in late February when he spoke during an NCAA luncheon in Indianapolis. He also attended a news conference earlier that month to announce Indiana's newest recruits although the assistant coaches answered most of the questions and provided most of the details.

Hoeppner left Miami (Ohio) in December 2004 to return to Indiana, his home state, and take over a Hoosiers program that last went to a bowl game in 1993.

A year later, he had a tumor removed from his right temple and last September he had a second operation on the right side of his head. He then left the team for two weeks but watched both games from the press box before rejoining the team. Hoeppner later implied follow-up tests showed no recurrence of the tumor, but that doctors had removed only scar tissue.

Hoeppner is 9-14 in his two seasons at Indiana, and he has reinvigorated enthusiasm in the program by reaching out to students and fans. In December, Hoeppner signed a two-year contract extension that would keep him in Bloomington through June 2012.

But last month, Hoeppner announced he was skipping spring practice to regain his strength and energy, and when the Hoosiers played their annual crimson-and-cream game on April 14, he did not attend.

Assistant Bill Lynch filled in as interim coach during each of Hoeppner's absences.

Indiana also has two football camps scheduled in mid-June, but there has been no announcement regarding whether Hoeppner would run them.

Athletic director Rick Greenspan has not provided many updates on Hoeppner's condition, citing both privacy concerns.

In Tuesday's statement, Hoeppner again asked the media to respect his privacy, and Greenspan said he hoped Hoeppner would recover quickly.

"Hep's health is of the utmost interest and concern to us," Greenspan said. "We'll continue to provide him with all of the support that we can with hopeful anticipation that he'll get well as quickly as possible."

[Drake]

...While I obviously care about him from an IU football fan's perspective...

We have a fan?!

Kidding aside, wishing the best for Coach Hoeppner.

[rowech]

As a Miami grad, I can't tell you how much we miss him. Our football team is in shambles thanks to our current coach. (I refuse to speak his name) His recruiting is terrible and his coaching is awful.

Of course, Hoepp came after Randy Walker and he met his end tragically as well.

[miami_fan]

I am not sure what I expected the AD to say. I know he has a responsibility to the team and the athletic dept. but his comments just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it is my turn to be overly sensitive.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2893585

Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan said Monday that he had hoped ailing football coach Terry Hoeppner would be back to work by now and he's getting worried about his ability to return to the job.

Hoeppner is 9-14 in his two seasons at Indiana but brain surgeries have kept him away from the team.

"The bottom line right now is that Hep is not back at work," Greenspan told the Indianapolis Star for Tuesday's editions. "He has been out for a couple of months. Obviously we're concerned, and the longer he is out, the more concerned we get about his return or his ability to return."

Hoeppner had brain surgery twice in a 10-month span and has now left the team three times since December 2005. Assistant head coach Bill Lynch ran the team during the spring and Hoeppner also didn't attend Indiana's annual crimson-and-cream game on April 14.

"We've said this and we'll continue to say it, we're not standing still. We had what I thought was a good, strong, solid and healthy spring football season," Greenspan told the newspaper.

"We had a really good semester academically. We've got a lot of kids on campus either at summer school, or working or whatever, getting stronger. So, we're certainly by no means on a treadmill, but Terry has been both a face and a leader of this team. And so, in terms of his personal visibility and what that means to us, yeah, we'd love to have him out there."

Indiana also has two football camps scheduled in mid-June.

The athletic department released a statement from Hoeppner in May, with the coach saying he hoped to return to the job.

"I continue to receive medical treatment and remain inspired to return to coaching when my health permits," Hoeppner said. "I love Indiana University and Indiana football and will make decisions in the best interest of the program, as I have always attempted to do."

The statement gave no details about Hoeppner's treatment, health or when he might rejoin the team.

Hoeppner's last major public appearance was in late February when he spoke during an NCAA luncheon in Indianapolis. He also attended a news conference earlier that month to announce Indiana's newest recruits, although the assistant coaches answered most of the questions and provided most of the details.

Hoeppner left Miami of Ohio in December 2004 to return to Indiana, his home state, and take over a Hoosiers program that last went to a bowl game in 1993.

A year later, he had a tumor removed from his right temple and last September he had a second operation on the right side of his head. He then left the Hoosiers for two weeks but watched both games from the press box before rejoining the team. Hoeppner later implied follow-up tests showed no recurrence of the tumor, but that doctors had removed only scar tissue.

Hoeppner is 9-14 in his two seasons at Indiana, and he has restored enthusiasm in the program by reaching out to students and fans. In December, Hoeppner signed a two-year contract extension that would keep him in Bloomington through June 2012.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Lathum]

The school is definantly caught between a rock and a hard place on this one

[st.cronin]

Very bad mojo for the AD to say that publicly though. You're not going to fire a guy that has brain cancer, so don't say shit like that.

[Kodos]

Everyone involved is in a tough situation. Obviously, Hep has some serious health issues, but wants to return if he becomes physically able to do so. The AD wants him to return, as he is the best thing that has happened to IU Football in the last decade and a half. I think Greenspan has been more patient than most ADs would be. I didn't read his comments to be condemning Hoeppner at all. I read them as wishing (for everyone's sake) that Hep would have been able to return by now, because his enthusiasm is what has built some momentum for a program that has been down for over 15 years. Greenspan has been good about protecting Hoeppner's privacy throughout this process. I think his "not standing still" comment was meant to express confidence in Bill Lynch, Matt Canada, and his coaching staff.

This has nothing to do with my being a fan of IU Football: I just hope that one day he can return to the sidelines in Bloomington, because that is what he loves. I would gladly endure more years of crappiness to have his health return. Hep is a great guy, with near boundless enthusiasm for a college football job most coaches would look to ditch as soon as possible. I would compare him to Tony Dungy in terms of his being a good person.

[Kodos]

hxxp://www.cobrabrigade.com/2007/06/big_ten_football_program_in_bi_1.php

Some guy from the Hoosiers board found this blog writeup on Terry Hoeppner's history and current situation. Longish, but good.

It in, I believe that he correctly says that the stories of a week or two ago about Indiana possibly cutting Hoeppner loose due to his health were more a reflection on the AP being sensationalistic than IU's AD being an ass.

[cody8200]

I hope Hep can recover...I would love for him to continue being our football coach. If it's not possible, I just want him to recover. The world and college football need more people like Terry. BTW, I believe Indiana is Bowl Bound THIS year. I think we finally have enough players to eek out a bowl bid.

[Kodos]

I think the schedule (No OSU or Michigan) and the fact that the team is improving gives us a good shot at a minor bowl this year.

[cody8200]

I think the schedule (No OSU or Michigan) and the fact that the team is improving gives us a good shot at a minor bowl this year.

Not having OSU and Michigan is great. Let's get to a bowl this year and maybe we can build on that. Maybe even beat one of those teams when they come to Bloomington in 2008.

[Kodos]

hxxp://indiana.scout.com/2/651950.html

Hep is stepping down for this season, and Bill Lynch will be our interim head coach. Come back next year when you're healthy, Hep. We love you. Get healthy. We're all pulling for you.

Lynch to Serve as Head Coach in 2007

By IU Media Relations

Posted Jun 15, 2007

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan has announced that Bill Lynch, who has been the Hoosiers assistant head coach and offensive coordinator since 2005, will assume the title of head coach for the 2007 season as Terry Hoeppner continues his leave of absence.

"Most importantly, I wish Terry well with his ongoing health issues," Greenspan said. "Hep means a great deal to so many of us and his health is a primary concern. As we rapidly approach the season, we believe this clarity is needed regarding the leadership of our football program. Bill Lynch and our staff have done an admirable job under trying circumstances and the leadership they have displayed with our student-athletes has been exemplary. I am confident that we will be capably led and thank Bill for his willingness to serve as our head coach for the 2007 season. At the end of the campaign, we will re-evaluate the circumstances and move forward from that point."

Indiana President Dr. Adam W. Herbert echoed Greenspan's sentiments.

"Indiana University is extremely grateful for the outstanding job Coach Hep has done to transform the IU football program," Herbert said. "His leadership and dedication provide the foundation on which we continue to build the highly competitive football teams he envisions. The Hoosiers will aggressively pursue Hep's goal of playing 13 in 2007 as he fights to restore his health. His spirit and determination to overcome adversity are an inspiration to us all."

This decision was made after recent consultation between Greenspan and the Hoeppner family.

"Our family continues to be very grateful and humbled by the tremendous support from the athletic administration, IU fans and friends around the country," Jane Hoeppner said. "For the past several months, Terry has received chemotherapy and radiation treatments. This battle requires us to focus our energy and attention on aiding his recovery in every way we can. The faith we have in God more than sustains us and grows stronger every day. Our family is confident that Bill and the staff will do a great job this season. These comments would be incomplete without Hep's ultimate statement to all of you - DON'T QUIT!"

Lynch owns an 81-67-3 record in 14 seasons as a head coach at Ball State, Butler and DePauw. He came to IU with Hoeppner and also oversaw the quarterbacks for the Hoosiers in 1993 and 1994.

"His courage serves as an example to all of us and we are prepared to follow his example as we look to achieve great things this season," Lynch said. "All of us in the IU football family wish Terry the best as he fights through this significant health challenge."

[cody8200]

I just saw this. Sad news. I really hope he can beat this and get back on his feet.

[Kodos]

Another article by Scout's IU sports writer:

hxxp://story.scout.com/a.z?s=170&p=2&c=652025

A Sad Day for Indiana Football

By John Decker
Posted Jun 15, 2007

This afternoon, IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan announced that Bill Lynch will take over for Terry Hoeppner as the Hoosiers’ football coach during the 2007 season. Hoeppner will remain on medical leave as he continues to deal with health issues that began in December of 2005 when he underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor.

Lynch, meanwhile, sheds his title as Assistant Head Coach and takes over a program that has been shrouded in uncertainty for the better part of 18 months.

It’s undoubtedly a decision that Greenspan came to begrudgingly and with a heavy heart.

Since being diagnosed with the brain tumor Dec. 24, 2005, and undergoing surgery three days later, Hoeppner has dealt with a series of setbacks. A second brain surgery last Sept. 13 forced him to take his first leave from the program, as Lynch assumed the program’s reigns for the first time. But Hoeppner was back sooner than expected, missing just two games before returning to the sidelines for the Hoosiers’ Sept. 30 contest against Wisconsin.

Hoeppner coached the Hoosiers for the remainder of the 2006 season, but was forced to take a second leave this spring before the start of spring practice. He’s been away from the program ever since, creating a great deal of concern about his condition and his ability to return.

After today’s announcement, those fears were obviously justified.

“We had hoped this most recent medical leave of absence would follow a similar pattern (to his first leave of absence) and he would return invigorated, rested and healthy,” Greenspan said. “Unfortunately, Terry has been out for a longer period than we had hoped, and we need to move forward and make appropriate leadership decisions with the start of our fall camp just weeks away.

“Our collective care and concern as a University for Terry and his family has never been stronger.”

Greenspan said he’s had ongoing conversations with Hoeppner’s family since he’s been on leave, and that Hoeppner has been back in the hospital for the last several days. Greenspan said Hoeppner is expected to be released from the hospital today to return home.

But with the season rapidly approaching, a decision needed to be made, according to Greenspan.

“We needed clarity as we’re approaching Aug. 4 and the beginning of fall camp,” Greenspan said. “Terry’s continuation on medical leave gives Bill a chance to run the program during Terry’s absence, but gives Terry all the inspiration to not quit.”

Greenspan and Lynch alerted the IU football team to the change during a team meeting Friday morning. Also present at the meeting was Hoeppner’s wife, Jane, who addressed the team as well.

“She was great – she was strong,” Lynch said. “She gave a really appropriate message about life, and the challenges that go with every day. Don’t take anything for granted, and give it your all every day. She’s a lot like Terry. I thought it was very appropriate, certainly from the heart.”

Greenspan said he will revisit the coaching situation at the conclusion of the 2007 season. IU could, hypothetically, reinstate Hoeppner as head coach if his condition improves. But on the surface, the odds of Hoeppner’s return appear remote.

And that’s what makes this one of the saddest days in the history of a program that has suffered through many a dark day on the field. When Greenspan introduced Hoeppner as the Hoosiers’ new head coach in January of 2005, it appeared IU had the perfect man for one of the toughest jobs in college football. A Franklin, Ind., native, Hoeppner grew up as an IU fan and had the sort of passion and charisma that lit a fire within a program that hadn’t been to a bowl game since 1993.

Hoeppner talked about filling Memorial Stadium, going the Rose Bowl, and about getting the best in-state players to come to Bloomington. And in his first two years on the job he took steps – some big, others small – in that direction. IU’s attendance has been on the rise in each of the past two seasons, and the Hoosiers’ came within one win of earning their first postseason bowl berth in 13 years last fall.

“The thing Terry did for this program, this university, is give the kids in the program and the fans around the state the belief that Indiana football could win,” Lynch said. “Our kids have bought into that and believe that.”

Now, with 14 starters returning from last year’s 5-7 squad – including standout quarterback Kellen Lewis and wide receiver James Hardy - the responsibility falls to Lynch to guide the Hoosiers in the pursuit of Hoeppner’s goals.

It’s a responsibility that Lynch has accepted, and one he and the team hope to see through.

“The one mission we have is to carry on the vision Terry brought,” Lynch said. “Not only in Indiana football, but in Indiana University and in how he sees the kids in our program developing, graduating, and as he often says, you’re going to be a champion on the field, in the classroom and in life. That’s what Terry’s always been about.”

[Kodos]

hxxp://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=725623

The 2007 Hoosiers football team is turning into a nice story. In the season following Hoeppner's death, they are now 5-1 and on the verge of breaking into the Top 25. Much of the credit for the turnaround goes to Hoeppner, who changed many people's perceptions of what is possible for IU football.

Indiana Still Building Hoeppner's Legacy

David Fox
Rivals.com College Football Staff Writer

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — "Hoosier Hysteria," the first basketball practice of the season, is three days away, but on Tuesday one of the most prominent signs dealing with Indiana athletics is a vote of confidence in the once-lowly football team.

A white bed sheet with the words "We Believe in 13. Go Hoosiers" painted in red hangs in front of a second-story window of the Sigma Chi fraternity house. It's nearly impossible to walk from the IU student union to the Kirkwood Avenue hangouts without noticing the message for the football team.

A few more might pop up in the coming weeks if a 13th game becomes a reality.

James Hardy has scored eight touchdowns for the 5-1 Hoosiers.
Though he coached the Hoosiers for only two seasons, former coach Terry Hoeppner's fingerprints are all over Indiana football. When he was hired as coach in 2005, Hoeppner coined a two-word motto, "Play 13," signifying Indiana's goal to play in a bowl for the first time since 1993. Less than four months after his death, the Hoosiers' next victory would give them six this season, making them bowl-eligible.

If that bowl bid comes, Indiana senior Kyle Schlemmer will be among the first in line for tickets. After the Hoosiers won 38-20 at Iowa on Sept. 29 for their fourth victory of the season, Schlemmer – a self-described die-hard Hoosiers football fan – gathered a few of his fraternity brothers to paint the sheet now hanging at the Sigma Chi house.

"We wanted to show some support," Schlemmer said. "When Hoeppner got here, Hoosier football wasn't just (the same) 'OK, we're going to lose this week.' We're building some tradition."

Though Hoeppner, who died June 19 from complications of a brain tumor, isn't here to see it, the display at the frat house is what he had in mind when he left Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, for what he told colleagues was his destination job.

A Fort Wayne, Ind., native, Hoeppner arrived in Bloomington hoping to not only revive the football program of his home state's flagship university, but also to make sure the students and alumni showed up to see it happen. Schlemmer's frat house was one of many that Hoeppner and about two dozen of his players visited in the coach's first year in an effort to encourage student turnout on Saturdays.

Football never will overtake basketball as IU's most popular sport, but there are signs football isn't the afterthought it once was. For instance, top IU football players James Hardy, Kellen Lewis, Tracy Porter and Greg Middleton now are more likely to be recognized on campus.

"Everyone around here knows it's different," said Hardy, who has 485 yards and eight touchdowns this season. "They feel it's that type of vibe. There's still a lot of people that don't believe, especially in a community where the football team hasn't had anything big for 15 years. At the same time, we have to prove to the community that this is a different football team."

Even with Indiana's best start since 1994, the Hoosiers know it will be a task to grab the headlines from the basketball team.

" 'Hep' did a great job of putting football on the minds of the students," said junior Zachary Osterman, sports editor of the Indiana Daily Student. "I don't think you'll see students get as jazzed as if it were basketball, but the student body is excited."


Daily reminders

The absence of a personality as dynamic as Hoeppner's makes those who saw him every day truly notice he's no longer there. Making those reminders even more constant are the players who still choose to be surrounded by their former coach.

Hardy sees Hoeppner every morning and every evening when he returns from practice, as he has numerous pictures of Hoeppner at home.
Hardy was closer to Hoeppner than any player on the team, and visited with the coach and his family several times a week. He had an up-close look at his coach's illness from the time Hoeppner had a brain tumor removed in December 2005 through a second surgery in September 2006 until his death in June.

Hardy went through his own troubles, including an arrest for domestic battery in May 2006. Charges were dismissed in February.

Through it all, Hoeppner was there to guide Hardy. At Hoeppner's memorial, Hardy credited his coach with helping turn his life around.

"It was a blessing to have him in my life not only as a football coach but as a person," Hardy said Tuesday. "He was the true definition of what it means to go for your goals. He turned this program around. He's doing it right now even though he's not with us. He's with us spiritually."

Lewis, the Big Ten's leader in total offense, thinks of Hoeppner every time he's feeling sluggish at practice.

At Lewis' first practice at Indiana in 2005, the coach sprinted with his team on a steamy August day, then did jumping jacks.

"Every time I step on the field and it's hot and I don't feel like practicing, I remember seeing this (57)-year-old guy in a jump suit in 98 degrees running 70 yards," Lewis said.

Hoeppner's touch remains everywhere. One of his first orders of business was to hang a copy of the "Don't Quit" poem in the team room at the IU football facility; it's still there. On the back of IU helmets this season is a decal with the words "Play 13." A logo of a football with the word "HEP" inside is emblazoned on a patch on the Hoosiers' uniforms, and there's a banner with the logo in the corner of the end zone at Memorial Stadium.

"He's the foundation of this whole program," said interim coach Bill Lynch, a friend of Hoeppner's for nearly three decades before joining his staff at Indiana in 2005. "Whether you're walking in the office or meeting room or locker room, it's everywhere."

Fulfilling the mission

At 5-1, Indiana is mindful of its impending bowl eligibility. Indiana was 5-4 last season, then lost its last three games to stay home for another postseason. This week, Indiana plays at Michigan State; also to come are league games against Penn State, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Purdue, and a non-conference game against Ball State – coincidentally where Lynch used to be the head coach.

Playing in a bowl was one of Hoeppner's foremost goals, but the Hoosiers can't get too wrapped up in it, players and coaches say.
"We all are well-aware of his goal for this program," said offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, who was an offensive lineman at Miami University while Hoeppner was there. Johnson later served as a Hoeppner assistant for seven seasons. "We'd all be lying if we said it wasn't in the back of our minds. But that's exactly where it is – in the back of our minds.

"To fulfill coach's mission, we have to take care of each game. That's what happened last year where we got ahead of ourselves and we tried to take care of the goal rather than each individual step. And that was our downfall."

In the months leading up to Hoeppner's passing, no one knew whether he would return to the sideline. In the first practices after his death, his staff preached one-play-at-a-time and one-practice-at-a-time – never mind one week or one game at a time.

The shared grief has brought the team closer and players are less concerned about the individual, Johnson said. For example, Indiana's starting cornerbacks also are among its top special-teams players.

"We're doing a better job of integrating all the social circles," Lewis said. "In the CD player, there's a little rap, a little R&B, a little country, a little pop.

"Everybody's understanding everyone else. It makes you grow up a little faster."

A changed Indiana team is determined to finish what Hoeppner started, even if he isn't here to see the final product.

"He's the one who put this together," Hardy said. "He's the one who saw this before we ever did."


When he was hired as Indiana's coach in 2005, Terry Hoeppner hung a copy of this poem in the IU football facility:

DON'T QUIT
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
And the road you're trudging seems all up hill;
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
For life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns;
But many a coward turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
But he learns too late when the night comes down
How close he was to the golden crown.
Victory is defeat turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds in doubt,
You will never know how near you are –
It may seem close when it seems afar.
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit;
It is when things seem worst that you must not quit.

INDIANA SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Result
Sep. 1 Indiana St. W 55-7
Sep. 8 at Western Michigan W 37-27
Sep. 15 Akron W 41-24
Sep. 22 Illinois L 14-27
Sep. 29 at Iowa W 38-20
Oct. 6 Minnesota W 40-20
Oct. 13 at Michigan State 7:00pm
Oct. 20 Penn State 12:00pm
Oct. 27 at Wisconsin 12:00pm
Nov. 3 Ball State TBA
Nov. 10 at Northwestern TBA
Nov. 17 Purdue TBA

[Kodos]

hxxp://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2007-10-10-indiana_N.htm

More from USA Today.

Indiana players carry on, late coach in their hearts

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — From death sometimes comes a reaffirmation of life. So Indiana football soldiers on, trying to put together the finest season in a generation, in honor of a man no longer here.
What does a 5-1 record mean? The best start for Indiana in 13 years. An exhilarating jump toward a first bowl since 1993. Success built with a multiskilled offense averaging 37.5 points and an invigorated defense that leads the nation with 29 sacks.

But those are the raw numbers. The heart of the story is something else: a team learning how to make every day count with a locker room full of mourners.

Don't Quit was Terry Hoeppner's favorite poem. So they haven't.

The receiver …

"I'm not the type of person to ever get emotional," James Hardy said. "But for some reason that day, I could never stop crying.

June 23. Would college players ever expect to spend a day standing in line in white jerseys and red pants, helmets held high in tribute, as their coach goes by in a hearse?

Hoeppner had died four days earlier, the end of an 18-month battle with a brain tumor. In two seasons, he pumped life into Indiana football, preaching how any obstacle could be overcome. But here was one that couldn't.

"He's there every day I wake up," said Hardy, who has eight touchdown catches. " I have pictures of him in my room at home. I make sure he's always on my mind."

Hardy was asked by Terry Hoeppner's widow to speak at the memorial. He made notes the night before, but when the time came he did not use them.

"Everything came from the heart," he said. "I knew I had to be strong for 105 guys. I think it helped us get over it, but honestly we don't want to. We want to keep remembering how that felt, so we can do all the work we need to do."

The coach …

Bill Lynch and Terry Hoeppner had been friends for nearly 30 years. While Hoeppner faced cancer, Lynch went from assistant to interim head coach. He and his wife were at the hospital that Monday night, sharing stories with Jane Hoeppner and her kids. Terry would continue to fight this thing, they all agreed. Somehow he would pull through.

He died the next morning. Lynch's duty became to somehow heal a program primed by Hoeppner for a brighter future.

"I knew I couldn't be Terry Hoeppner. He had a presence to him and a charisma to him," Lynch said. "But it wasn't hard to lead his team because I knew him so well and I respected him so much and I knew what his message was. Now I have to give it in my language, but giving the message was easy."

Even if the situation was not because it is agonizing to watch a friend slip away, "I'm not sure any of us know what he went through in those 18 months," Lynch said.

The Hoosiers …

They know they are homecoming opponents three times this season and what that means.

"People mark us down for games to win," defensive end Jammie Kirlew said. "We knew this was our year. Our success is not surprising to us at all."

"If we don't score 35 or 40 points a game," quarterback Kellen Lewis said, "we feel like we're not doing our job."

Offense must move the Hoosiers this Saturday at Michigan State and beyond. So must emotion. "What we have to understand," Lynch said, taking the line from one of his assistants, "is it's not important that we play for Hep. We have to practice for Hep."

Jane Hoeppner and her family are still often seen around the team. Lynch said the program wants them, needs them. For they are all survivors — family, coaches, players.

Lynch understands that outsiders look at that 5-1 record and naturally see sentiment at work. Fine. But the players are pretty good, too.

"To every one of these kids, the memory of Hep is really important," he said. "But I do think in fairness to them — and I'd say the very first guy to say this would be Hep — give these kids credit."

Hardy said: "Coach Hep has been our inspiration. But we've still got to be the ones who go out there and do the work."

That is how a scarred program carries on. The Hoosiers share the load and acclaim as they've also had to share the grief.

[Kodos]

They did it, Hep! The Hoosiers are 7-5, and if there is any justice, they are going bowling! They did it for you! Thank you for giving Hoosier football fans something to believe in! Rest in peace, Coach! But party a little today!

[st.cronin]

Congrats, Hoosiers.

[BYU 14]

Congrats, Hoosiers.

+1

[Axxon]

+2

[Crim]

+13

[hoosierdude]

Yeah I was really stoked to listen to the game and to see the Hoosiers gut one out over the Boilers for a well deserved win. They look to finish the job Hoeppner started for them.

We miss you Coach Hoeppner. Rest in peace. The Cream and Crimson should be bowling sometime in December. I can't wait. :)

[Kodos]

Tonight's the night the Hoosiers play 13 for Terry Hoeppner. Go do him proud, boys!

[Kodos]

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=87552

Terry Hoeppner will always be the biggest "what if" for me concerning IU football. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if brain cancer hadn't taken him from us much too young.

Five years after his death, Coach Hep remembered for vision


By Alex McCarthy | IDS

POSTED AT 08:18 PM ON Jun. 17, 2012 (UPDATED AT 08:20 PM ON Jun. 17, 2012)
PRINT | Email | Editor | SHARE | COMMENTS (1) | Recommend (15)

On a foggy Bloomington night in June, two beacons shine brightly through the mist. They are the towers that form the North End Zone complex at Memorial Stadium, and they serve as just that: a memorial to a man who has been absent for five years.

A man who never saw the towers built.

Nearly four miles away, another monument stands for the same man. It’s much shorter, rising only halfway up one’s thigh. It’s tucked into a far corner of the Valhalla Memory Gardens, just feet from a cracked concrete path and half-covered in shade from a nearby tree.

The black letters on it clearly stand out from the granite — “Terry Hoeppner: August 19, 1947-June 19, 2007.”

“Can you see it?”

Hoeppner’s vision for IU football began to take shape in 2005 when he accepted the head coaching job for the Hoosiers. It was the only job that could lure him away from being at the helm of Ohio’s Miami University Redhawks, and he knew he had some work to do.

IU was a school that put basketball first, and some were even disrespectful of the football program.

During the summer of 2005, Hoeppner caught wind that leaders at student orientation had been making jokes about the football team. The next day, at 7:30 a.m., Hoeppner was in attendance at their meeting, speaking about his goals for the program and why he needed students’ support.

“Those are the kind of things that ended up endearing him to people,” Jane, his wife, said. “Because he wasn’t afraid to speak up for his team, for his program, for all of those things that he had a vision for.”

His sights extended from the student body to improving the facilities at Memorial Stadium, which many saw as a lackluster stadium for Big Ten football.

Early in his IU tenure, a high school football recruit visited IU. While he was standing on the field and talking with Hoeppner, Hoeppner turned toward the north end of the stadium, where he was already envisioning what would eventually become the North End Zone complex.

“Can you see it?” he asked the recruit. “Because I can.”
Hoeppner described it in detail: towers rising high above the field, shining with glass and an enormous IU logo.

When James Hardy — who had actually come to IU with a basketball scholarship — worked out with the football team, Hoeppner had a vision for him.

Hoeppner watched film of catches Hardy had made. He was going to make Hardy a football player.

“He’s one of my best friends,” Hardy said. “He taught me things about life that you’re supposed to learn from your father. Unfortunately, I never did, so within the time period that I knew (Hoeppner), he respected me for a lifetime.”

Hardy went on to start as wide receiver and set the all-time record for receptions
at IU.

Hoeppner’s 2005 team finished 10th in the Big Ten, but he was confident they would improve. On Christmas Eve 2005, however, Hoeppner was bothered by a headache and had it checked out. The tests revealed a tumor in his right temple. He had it removed Dec. 27, 2005.

During the 2006 season, continuing health concerns kept him from consistently being on the sidelines with the Hoosiers and confined him to his house.

One night, while sitting in his living room watching television from his recliner, he turned to his wife sitting nearby on the plush floral couch and apologized.

He said he was sorry they hadn’t had the opportunity to spend time together in a low-key setting, like sitting in front of their TV. He was constantly working and watching tape and scouting opponents, but now, he had time to spend lounging in his living room.

“We wouldn’t have done it any differently had we had a chance to do it over again,” Jane said. “I think he was just feeling kind of nostalgic.”

Even through the hard times, he wanted to remain strong for his players. One evening, Hardy walked into the locker room. Hoeppner, who was using the wall to support himself as he walked, didn’t notice Hardy.

“Hey, Coach!” Hardy yelled.

Hoeppner quickly took his hand off the wall, turned and put a smile on for Hardy, pretending nothing was out of the ordinary.

“That’s when I knew it was worse than what I thought,” Hardy said.

Months later, before the start of the 2007 season, host Dave Revsine of the Big Ten Network would ask Jane when it was clear to her that her husband might not survive the cancer.

“I guess June 19,” she answered.

June 19

In March 2007, it was clear Hoeppner wouldn’t be able to coach the team in the upcoming season. As his replacement, he chose Bill Lynch.

The two had coached against each other for their entire professional careers; Lynch coached at Butler while Hoeppner coached at Franklin College. Lynch coached at Ball State University while Hoeppner was at Miami.

When Hoeppner took the job at Indiana, he called Lynch out of the blue and lured him away from his job at DePauw to join him.

“You had to know him,” Lynch said. “He was just such a positive guy, and he had a personality that he was going to beat anything.”

During summer conditioning, Hoeppner’s condition was getting worse.

June 19, 2007, was set to be a big day for the Hoeppner and Hoosier families. The ground-breaking ceremony for the North End Zone complex was to take place.

Hoeppner’s vision was finally physically coming to fruition. He never had a chance to see it happen.

Early in the morning of June 19, Hoeppner died.

Immediately, Athletics Director Rick Greenspan decided to cancel the ground ceremony. Even in her grief, however, Jane insisted otherwise.

“I was thinking in my mind, ‘He would be doing it if he was here,’” Jane said. “‘Since he can’t and I can, then I will do that,’ and there was not ever any question about not doing that.”

Hoeppner’s passing was a shock to many of those in his life, especially Hardy.

“Yes, I thought he was going to beat it,” Hardy said. “He helped me beat my odds, and he was there for me, so of course he’s going to be there and he’s going to beat it for his own life.”

Hoeppner’s service drew visitors from around the nation. Sean Payton, who coached with Hoeppner at Miami and was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints at the time of Hoeppner’s death, was there. Current IU Coach Kevin Wilson, who had also coached with him at Miami, arrived to pay his respects.

“Even as Terry was fighting cancer and he was battling in his last years,” Wilson said, “he was trying to help me out with a couple jobs and help me as an assistant coach get in line to be a head coach. He was always there for me.”

In front of Wilson and thousands of attendees, both Hardy and Jane, among others, spoke. Hardy wondered aloud what he was going to do without his mentor.

Jane was never much of a public speaker, but she figured that if she could make it through the loss of her husband, she could make it through a few minutes at the podium.

“We are going to play in a bowl game,” Jane assured the crowd. “And Coach Hep is going to be there with us.”

Unexpected gifts

Five months later, IU was on the verge of that bowl game. Kicker Austin Starr
trotted onto the field at Memorial Stadium during the final season game against Purdue. The teams were tied at 24 with 35 seconds remaining, and he had to kick a daunting 49-yard field goal.

Starr had swum in Hoeppner’s pool and played with his grandchildren. He had also been disappointed that he was never a member of a senior class when Hoeppner was the head coach.

Now, he had a chance to both beat Purdue at home and win IU’s seventh game of the season. He took a deep breath, and when the snap was perfect, he made sure the kick was just as perfect. It sailed through the uprights, and IU beat Purdue, 27-24, and advanced to a bowl game.

Cameras from the Big Ten Network captured the jubilee. Students cheered wildly. Jane, on the sidelines, turned every which way to receive hugs from those near her.

“It was fitting in a lot of different ways,” Jane said. “It was fitting because we were close to Austin, and we were so happy for him. It was fitting that it was just a magical night. It was just unbelievable.”

It was a gift to the Hoosiers and the Hoeppners. Coach Hoeppner had many phrases and mantras, and one of them was “Unexpected gifts at unexpected times.”

“That’s what you’re all about,” Jane would joke with him, “because you don’t remember the birthdays and the anniversaries and things you’re supposed to remember.”

Whatever the reason, Hoeppner made a habit of giving gifts at unexpected moments. When Hardy thought he was destined to play basketball, Hoeppner gave him a chance to play football.

When Lynch was happily coaching at DePauw, Hoeppner gave him a chance to coach in the Big Ten. When he saw the need, Hoeppner gave the University a large gift in his vision for the North End Zone complex.

On the first Saturday of the 2007 season — the first game without Hoeppner — the doorbell rang at the Hoeppner house. Jane, who was getting ready to head to the stadium, answered the door.

In front of her was a man with a bouquet of flowers. Confused, Jane accepted them and took them inside. The note was from one of Hoeppner’s former players at Miami, Shean Williams, now an attorney in Atlanta.

“A wise man once told me, unexpected gifts at unexpected times,” the card read.

“Make your plans succeed”

Five years later, Jane sits on her couch, recounting stories from meeting Terry at Franklin College to learning to speak in public after his death. Behind her is a pillow with a Bible verse written on it.

Psalm 20:4-5. “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans
succeed.”

Hoeppner’s plans succeeded, even though he wasn’t around to see all of it.

Hardy became one of the best football players in IU history and has a tattoo of Hoeppner on his arm, with a question eternally etched in his skin — “What would I do without Hep?”

Wilson, whom Hoeppner wanted to be made a head coach, now has that job. He coaches the Hoosiers on the same field Hep did.

“There’s a good deal about being a head coach and being at Indiana, and if there’s one bad thing, it’s because Terry Hoeppner’s not the head coach here,” Wilson said.

And that North End Zone complex became a reality.

“I drive by that stadium and I look at that North End Zone and I think, ‘Wow,’” Jane said. “It’s what he saw.”

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Obligatory "Fuck Cancer."

[Drake]

I can't believe it's been five years. Fuck Cancer. Go Hoosiers.